Embrace Pet Insurance Blog

New Embrace friend alert - PetRelocation.com

New friend alert! PetRelocation.com (this is what happens when you hang out too much on Twitter!) 

If you have ever left the US or Canada to go to Europe with a pet, it's worse than trying to get your own paperwork in order. The rules aren't particularly clear, the airlines are some help but not particularly enthusiastic, and you have that awful feeling as you look out the window on the plane whether they will turn your family pet away at the other end because you overlooked some nuance.

In my prior life many moons ago (pre-kids, pre-MBA, pre-Embrace), I worked at a large life and health insurance company in Toronto, Canada. At the time, I was an actuarial student and lucky enough to get an internal job posting to Dublin, Ireland, which I jumped at. There was just one problem - what to do with my cat Simon?

At the time, there was a 6-month quarantine period for cats and dogs (to prevent rabies reaching the British Isles) and so if you took your pet across the pond, he or she had to wait at the border for half a year before rejoining you. When faced with such a long time in some sort of government pet facility (I'm afraid that however nice it is, my imagination really went wild on that one), I balked at the option and luckily some relatives took Simon into their home while I was abroad.

Now the rules have changed (it's a bit round about but you bring your pet into the UK under the new Pet Travel Scheme and then take it into Ireland) but I must say, if I was to ship a pet abroad while working for another company, I'd hire professional pet shippers.

Since I didn't look at the option all those years ago, I didn't really know much about pet shippers until I was on Twitter (@laurabennett) and bumped into Pet Relocation over there. We got talking and now PetRelocation is one of our most interesting affilate sites.

Since becoming acquainted with PetRelocation.com, I wondered what it would be like if I was moving to Ireland today: how would I do it; how much would it cost; what would be involved? Over at their website, I was quite surprised to find a ready list of most countries you might ever want to move to (and some you might not) and detailed requirements of what you need to do to get from here to there. Here's the page for Ireland.

Now why would a pet shipping company give you all the information so you could do it yourself? Because now you can see how involved the process can be. If you want to do it yourself, you can, but if you find it a little bit daunting (and it's not something you want to mess up either), you can get help from someone who knows what they are doing.

Anyway, it's a great place to start if you are researching moving your pet. Pet Relocation is a nifty example of how a small but focused company can get the job done well.

Shipping within the US starts at $1,000 and overseas starts at $2,500 so it's not cheap but it sure does take the worry out of shipping your loved ones to your new home. I've just put a quote in for my "move" to Ireland so I'll let you know how much that turns out to be.

P.S. If you are moving, you can get a 10% discount off PetRelocation's services over at the Embrace Pet Community in the services section.

Pet-related Small Business Trends 2009

It's official! Anita Campbell, has posted the detailed Pet Industry Trends for 2009 that I write every year over on her Small Business Trends blog. It's from a small business perspective, a topic dear to my  heart.

In the meantime, here is a summary for you, just in case you didn't have time for the full version.
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Pet-related Small Business Trends 2009

Question: is the pet industry recession-proof as many say it is? Answer: 2009 will prove out whether or not pet owners spend on their pets through thick and thin.

The overwhelming pet-related trend in 2009 will be value for money – spending more thoughtfully and spending less. 2009 spending will level off as pet owners pay more attention to their budgets. The top ten trends are:

1. Pet parents will spend, but more thoughtfully than in recent years

Spending on pet supplies and over-the-counter medicines was projected to increase 5.1% in 2008 from $9.8 billion to $10.3 billion according to the American Pet Products Association (APPA) but before the recession announcement. We would not be surprised to see more modest increases in the range of 2% in 2008, continuing on to 2009.

2. Pet services for pets continue to grow

There’s a reason Wal-Mart is testing grooming in its stores and expanding its pet aisle – pet parents are spending good money in this area, even in a recession. More than $3 billion dollars will be spent on pet services in 2008 according to the APPA, which will likely continue to grow in 2009, but at a lower rate than in prior years.

3. Dog’s Star on the Rise for 2009?

The number of cats in the US have long dominated dog numbers (according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are more than 72 million pet dogs in the U.S. but nearly 82 million pet cats). Will the new First Dog inspire people with dog allergies to reconsider bringing a dog in-house?

4. Growing interest in pet health care

Pet parents are taking control of their pets’ health care as they do their two legged children. Technology from the human world continues to make its way into the veterinary tool kit including non-invasive surgeries, human medical devices and services being applied to pets. Pet lovers want, and are demanding, the same treatment options for their pets as they can get for themselves.

5. Pet insurance edges towards the mainstream

We estimate the size of the US pet insurance market to be $271 million in premium in 2008, up from approximately $220 million in 2007 (a 23% increase) and we expect 2009 premium to reach $328 million. We project that the market will grow to $500 million by 2012.

6. Hybrids take center stage

Not just popular for cars, recent years saw the popularity of hybrid dogs grow rapidly. As predicted last year, 2008 saw the growth of the puppy farm hybrid to take advantage of the inflated prices people are paying for these dogs. 2009 is only going to get worse in this respect.

7. Increased competition from larger players.

Larger companies are beginning to recognize the economic potential of the pet industry. Target and Wal-Mart are both expanding their pet selection and using pets in their advertising.

8. Large companies hold off buying smaller just when the prices are right.

Some might say that right now is the perfect time for consolidation in the pet industry because of the incredibly low valuations but don’t expect much to happen in the first half of 2009.   

9. Increased online sophistication from new pet-related businesses in ecommerce, design, and usability.

In 2008, a whole slew of new “WebMD for pets” websites appeared, such as WebVet, PetMD, and PetDoc, and we’ll see them battle it out for the lead position in 2009. Newer players are more sophisticated in design and ecommerce, reaching their target audience via web-site usability, search engine optimization, paid search, and word of mouth marketing.

10. Pet-related blogs continue to grow their influence.

The power of pet-related blogs really showed up during the pet food recall in the middle of 2007. Blogs such as Pet Connection, Pet Sit USA and Dolittler continue to provide high quality commentary on all aspects of pet news and issues.

And one final bonus trend that indicates the direction of pet health …

11. The divergence of the veterinary clinic

On the one hand, the advent of advanced human medical tests and treatments in the pet world has led to the growth in private specialty clinics. At the other end of the spectrum, there is good money to be made by a single veterinarian in a practice focusing on pet wellness, without the need for fancy equipment and more than a handful of support staff. We predict this divergence between wellness and accident/illness care in veterinary clinics will grow noticeably over the next five years.
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So there you have it - what do you think the pet trends of 2009, 2010 and beyond will be?

Sharing the link love - Licked Toys

How many dog toys does a dog go through in a lifetime? Many many, I think we'd all agree.

I know that even my parents' Jack Russell Terriers go through them like they were actually eating them (yes well, they were...)

Here is a site we can all have fun with: Licked Toys - the first dog toy graveyard. What a brilliant idea!

It's just a fledgling site but I think we can all come up with a photo or two of a crunched hedgehog or a destroyed tuggy to add to their collection.

Pet Travel is increasing - what do you think?

Here's the last "bonus" item in my Pet Industry Trends for 2008 article.

More people traveling with their pets
From day trips with the dogs in the back of the car, to trips abroad with your pets, more and more people are including their cats and dogs in their travels. As a result, more hotels, such as the Comfort Inn all the way up to the Westin are accommodating pets beyond just allowing them on the premises. This gives small businesses the opportunity to provide services to local hotels for pets or for accessories to make traveling even easier.

Recently someone asked me about my pet travel assertion and how I determined this trend.

In answer to that questions, there’s no magic stat that I’ve seen; I use the mosaiic theory - put a number of other stats and observations together and draw a conclusion.

• From Michael Dillon’s report Pet Industry 2007 Strategic Report, he comments on the baby boomers retiring and their pet spending:

55-64 year-olds represent a very compelling demographic due to 4% projected growth through 2010, according to the Census Bureau. 55-64 year-olds are the fastest-growing age demographic in the pet industry, spending $7.75 billion in 2005, up 127% from 2000. With the active boomer generation set to spend more time with their pets, whether at home or on the road, we expect to see more travel products for pets over the next two years.

• Boomers travel more than most (trends from the TIA Domestic Travel Market Report)
• Proliferation of pet friendly hotels (intercontinental, Crowne Plaza, Wyndham Hotel, Ritz Carlton, Radisson, Marriott, Holiday Inn, Days Inn, Comfort Inn, Red Roof Inn, La Quinta, etc.)
• Appearance of numerous specialty travel services either for pets or involving pets (Bailey Knows Travel, Pets Welcome, Puppy Travel )

And so on…

What signs are you seeing to support my assertion or not?

A great last minute pet lover gift

For as low as $15 a month (sometimes even lower), you can buy the perfect gift for the pet lover in your life.

Why is an Embrace Pet Insurance policy a great idea?

• Free and instantaneous delivery! It is safe and easy to buy online and your policy is emailed to you immediately.

• Get up to 90% of the vet bill back: Your favorite pet lover will thank you when those unexpected vet bills pop up.

  Extensive coverage: Embrace policies cover all the big expensive health costs such as cancer and diabetes, and all hereditary conditions (as long as the dog has no signs of these things before the 14 day waiting period is up)

Use any veterinarian: You are not restricted to a network with Embrace.

How do I buy? Put your favorite pet lovers information in the application and your own credit card information and email in the billing section and you're all set.

What could be easier?

Competition: Embrace Pet Insurance on The Doggie Chronicles Radio Show

Yes well! Here's my first go at a radio interview about pet insurance on The Doggie Chronicles (I think I need work to be as good as Alex on NPR the other day.)

It sounded fine but I can improve in a few areas like not saying "Right!" to start every answer and not focusing on understanding deductibles as a benefit of this blog - duh! We have so much more interesting things here. But I think it was entertaining enough - what do you think? (See competition below)

BTW, the first half of the show is Jamie Miller, the owner and founder of Beer for Dogs and she's talks about how she got started and the lucky event of Arnold Schwarzenegger buying her beer for his dog. The Embrace bit starts after the middle of the show.

So, if you want to hear my funny accent or learn about beer for dogs, check it out at TDC - Beer for Dogs / Dog Insurance.

In fact, there's a prize for anyone who emails me a list of "Britishisms" you hear in my interview. No idea what the prize will be but I'll think of something good. Get listening!

Millie's Million: center of learning for canine cancer

We recently received a new claim for lymphoma in a female 3 year old mixed breed dog called Red. Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes, which can be treated successfully with chemotherapy.

Red's care, spread over 3 months, has cost $4,300 so far, paying for initial symptoms of panting and overheating to her chemotherapy treatments. There will be further follow up care, likely putting the total vet bill for her lymphoma over $5,000.

In cases like this though, while the cost is incredibly high, the emotional toll cannot be underestimated. In my post on Coping With Your Dog's Cancer, I mentioned Millie's Million, an organization that helps pet parents learn about and cope with their dog's cancer. 

Debbie Celli, the force behind Millie's Million, knows from person experience with her dog Millie how difficult it can be to comprehend what is happening and to connect with people who have gone through the same thing.

For example, check out the video section as a great resource from veterinarians and pet parents alike on the realities of canine cancer.

There, veterinarians from the Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital talk about:

• the various forms of cancer and treatments
• cancer from a surgical standpoint
• what you can do if you can't afford traditional cancer treatment or what you can do in addition to them

In addition, there are videos from pet parents sharing their stories:

• a dog's amputation due to cancer
• a successful journey with Lymphoma
• mentoring people through their dogs' cancer

As well as the video center, you can sign up for canine cancer mentorship and delve into other canine cancer resources online.

If you are going through cancer with your dog or know someone who is, Millie's Million is a great resource during a very emotional time.

Related Posts:
What is Osteosarcoma in dogs and cats?
Toe tumors;
My cat or dog is limping;
And a beautiful story of dog cancer, friendship and caring in Grace's story and Grace's eulogy.

Shopping made easy for your favorite dogs and cats

In case you haven't seen it yet, there's a companion blog to this one that's all about shopping for your cats and dogs over at the Embrace Pet Community. Lea features something unique and interesting every day so you'll want to be a regular reader to get the most from it. You can subscribe via email or your blog reader.

In addition, the pet community has many partnerships where you can get deals as a member, such as freebies from Wysong, discounts from Pup Life and many more.

Especially now that Christmas is coming up and there are so many four-legged friends to buy for, start early.

Progressive Pet Insurance - now your dog and cat are insured in a collision

Welcome Progressive Insurance policyholders to Embrace!

Finally, a car insurer that gets the role of pets in our lives. Progressive has added a $500 Pet Injury Protection endorsement to all its auto insurance policies where the company will pay $500 towards vet bills from a car accident.

But why was this needed anyway? Wouldn't a pet be covered anyway if it is in an insured car?

Surprisingly, not necessarily. If someone hits your car and injures your dog or cat, the vet bills are covered under their policy under their property damage coverage (pets being property under the law) but if you have an accident and there's no other car involved or the other driver doesn't have insurance, your pet's injuries just aren't covered - up until now that is.

Of course, we all know that $500 won't take you very far if a pet is seriously injured so Embrace Pet Insurance has partnered with Progressive, along with another pet insurer, to provide full pet insurance policies to those people who want something more than just coverage while their pet is in the car. Progressive policyholders get a 5% discount too.

Embrace Pet Insurance policies add coverage for:

• accidents like being hit by a car, or injesting poison, or having an allergic reaction to a bee sting, or tearing a cruciate ligament
• cancer of all kinds like osteosarcoma or lymphoma
• hereditary conditions such as hip dysplasia, epilepsy, and skin allergies
• contagious diseases like Lyme Disease and coronavirus sickenesses
• diagnostic treatments like bloodwork, MRIs and CT scans
• alternative and complementary therapies like acupuncture, chiropractic treatments and homeopathic care
• hospitalization and return vet visits for all these conditions
• prescription drugs and dental illness care (optional)

The list goes on...

We're delighted to partner with such a far-sighted auto insurer - let's hope the dogs and cats of the US don't think they can drive the cars now!

My visit to the NYC Veterinary Specialists

I was recently in New York and thought I'd spend a spare hour visiting one of the most sophisticated veterinary hospitals you can find in the US - the NYC Veterinary Specialists.

One of our clients took her cat to this clinic for emergency treatment for kidney issues and so I thought it would be a good opportunity to stop by to say hello and see what all the fuss is about.

Boy, was I impressed! The facilities and the people are top notch and as I was touring around, I couldn't help but think that many human hospitals would be happy to have the tools at hand - CT scan, MRI machine, ultrasound, isolation ward, intensive care ward and so on. All the modern medical marvels that until recently were only available for humans.

But let me tell you, a visit to this facility will set you back big time. For example, our policyholder's cat spent 2 nights in ICU, received 1 unit of blood, an oncology consult, plus other miscellanous items and the bill came to just over $3,000.

That's top notch quality at top notch prices.

Facilities like this one are exactly why you need Embrace Pet Insurance - you never need to think about money in the middle of an extremely emotional health emergency.

[Special thanks to Dave and Tim for taking time out of their extremely hectic day to spend time with me]